Article by
Barbados Today

Published on
October 1, 2015

Derrick Rose’s troubled tenure with the Chicago Bulls took a fresh twist yesterday when he suffered a facial fracture from an accidental elbow during the team’s first day of practice.

Rose underwent surgery today to repair the left orbital fracture. The Bulls do not have a timetable on his return.

Derrick Rose (left)

“Derrick took an elbow to the face,” first-year coach Fred Hoiberg told reporters. “He took a good, hard elbow.”

Rose won the league’s MVP of the 2010-2011 campaign but his career has been hindered by two knee surgeries in two years as well as a host of other smaller ailments.

The 26-year-old guard missed the entire 2012-2013 season after tearing his left ACL, then tore the medial meniscus in his right knee in November 2013 and missed the rest of that campaign.

Rose, who missed an extended period of last season due to another knee ailment, also has his problems away from the basketball court.

In August, a civil suit and rape allegation were levelled at Rose stemming from an alleged incident two years ago. Rose denied the charges earlier this week when he showed up for the Bulls media day. “It’s not true. I will be proven innocent,” Rose said. “I feel like I’m on the right track as far as where I want to be at in my life. I feel like when you’re that focused people try to take you down.”

Rose’s popularity also took a hit a year ago when he said he would not rush back from injuries because he was concerned with life after basketball. There are also rumors of strife between Rose and Chicago’s new leading scorer Jimmy Butler. The Bulls parted ways with coach Tom Thibodeau following their second round playoff loss in May but the new era has begun with familiar uncertainty of Rose.